Sophia sat at the head of the developers’ table, a large projection behind her displaying the results of the past two months of blood, sweat and tears. She was surrounded by an eclectic group of men and women, some of them wearing suits, others dressed more casually. There had never been a dress code at her firm, but Sophia had always believed in dressing for the job you wanted. It was, she believed, part of the reason she was sitting at the head of the table at that very moment.

“So you’ll see the curve of the infrastructure here will allow for the support we need to lean the building while still keeping it upright.”

The group stared at the image behind her, and Sophia hoped that they were looking at it with approval. With unreadable expressions, it was impossible to tell if her idea was being well received or not. After a long silence, Luis spoke.

“I’m just going to say what we’re all thinking. This building is freaking cool.”

A rumble of chuckles circled around the table, and Sophia smiled as the group lit up with compliments and questions, the rest of the meeting spent discussing how to make her next big dream a reality. Luis stood up and walked over to a side table, where a series of muffins and other breakfast items were on display. When he walked past her, muffin in hand, her stomach lurched.

Holding a hand over her mouth, Sophia went pale as her eyes widened. In that moment she realized if she didn’t move fast, she was going to vomit right on that table in front of all of her colleagues.

“Excuse me,” she said, dashing out of the room without looking back.

She ran down the hall and straight into the bathroom, where the contents of her breakfast were unceremoniously dropped into the nearest toilet. She wiped away cool beads of sweat from her brow, resting her head on her arms as she cradled the toilet, wondering what she could have eaten to get so sick, so fast.

As she sat there, her mind going over every possibility, she felt a very cold sinking feeling wash over her.

When was the last time she’d had her period?

Giving her stomach a moment to settle, she took her time standing up, walking with measured steps as she reached her beautiful office. When she sat behind her desk, she pulled up her calendar on her computer, and began counting days.

She counted days at least six times before she had to finally admit to herself that there was a definite possibility that she could be pregnant.

Holding in her panic, she grabbed her purse and stepped out of her office, no longer focusing on the nausea still lingering in her belly. Luis stepped out of the conference room. When he looked at her, his expression grew instantly concerned.

“Sophia? What’s going on? Are you okay? You look terrible.”

Ignoring his comment, she nodded, heading straight towards the elevator.

“I’m just feeling a little under the weather. Can you give the group my apologies? I think I’ve come down with food poisoning.”

“Of course,” he said, watching her as she pressed the elevator button several times before it finally arrived.

She stepped inside, staring out at the city, not bothering to say another word to Luis. Her mind was going a million miles a minute.

There was no way she could be pregnant. They had been careful. They had used protection.

The elevator reached the main floor, and when the doors opened she rushed out into the street, making quick work of getting to the nearest pharmacy, and blushing as she purchased her first pregnancy test. She got the most expensive one, buying two boxes so she could disprove this with absolute certainty.

Not wanting to take the test at work, Sophia held her hand out for a cab, sliding into a yellow car as she gave the driver directions. He sped through the city, though not nearly fast enough for Sophia’s taste. She needed this theory to be disproved immediately, so she could get on with her life. The cab stopped in front of her building, and she stepped back out onto the street, too distracted to thank her driver before he pulled back onto the road looking for more fares.

When she got to her apartment, she was tearing open the first box as she made her way towards the bathroom. Reading the instructions, she followed them, setting the little stick on her bathroom counter as she waited.

She stared at the test from across the room, too scared to look at it. There had only been one man she’d been with in the past several months, and that man was, for a lack of a better term, a complete and utter cad. The thought of having a baby at all was not something Sophia was ready for, but to have a baby with that arrogant beast of a man?

Enough time had passed for her to see her answer. Taking a deep breath, still feeling sick, she stepped over and looked at the results. She slapped a hand over her mouth as she choked back a sob.

It was positive.

Ripping open the second box, she took the second test, waiting a shorter amount of time before she braved a look. The results were identical to the first.

Sophia Simms, workaholic, was pregnant.

Shocked, she sat back on the ledge of her bath tub, her mind somehow completely numb while also racing as she sought to find a solution to this issue. Was Sophia brave enough to have a child? Did she really have a choice? If she decided not to have it, she knew that deep down she would regret the decision forever. Her parents had always wanted her to have a family someday, but would they want one if it meant having to deal with Jed Shields for the rest of their lives?

Not knowing what to do, Sophia stepped back out into her living room and sank into her couch, lifting her phone as she tapped the button to call her sister.

“What’s wrong?” Genevieve asked.

This time she had good reason to ask. Sophia sat in silence for a moment, not knowing where to start.

“Sophie? Where are you? Are you okay?”

The panic rose so quickly in her sister’s voice, it almost made Sophia laugh. At the moment, she didn’t quite feel the humor in the situation.

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” she said.

“You don’t sound fine. What happened?”

Taking a breath, she let it out.

“You remember how I had that one night stand a few months ago.”

“I do,” Genevieve said, her tone cautious.

“Gen…” Sophia breathed. “I’m pregnant.”

“You’re what now?”

“Do not make me say it again.”

“Were you guys safe about it? How did that happen?”

“Of course we were safe! I’m not an idiot. We just fell into that other category that doesn’t make it past the prevention stage.”

Genevieve was quiet for a moment as she processed that information.

“What are you going to do, Soph?”

Sophia stared out at the city, thinking about the implications of her situation. She thought about Jaden and Emma, and how much she enjoyed spending time with them, watching them learn and develop and grow. What would it be like to raise her own child, to know the love that shone in her sister’s eyes when she looked at her children?

“I think I’m going to go through with the pregnancy,” she said slowly, unsurely.

She could almost hear Genevieve’s sigh of relief.

“I think you will make an excellent mother, Sophie.”

Sophia scoffed.

“I doubt that. What happens when my kid wants me, and I’m at work all the time?”

“Well, your child becomes part of your work. They become the main source of joy in your life. I know it’s hard to see that now, and I know you’re scared, but Sophie, can you tell me any instance in your life when you have ever failed at something?”

Sophia wracked her brain, thinking about everything she had accomplished up to that point.

“Nothing particularly comes to mind,” she said.

“That’s right. You are driven and determined, and that’s what’s brought you so much success. This is no different. I am certain that you will employ the same level of dedication to raising this child, you will give it your very best, like you do with all things, and you will know a greater joy than you have ever experienced, ever.”

Sophia smiled at her sister’s double use of the word “ever,” thinking about her words. What would it be like to have a baby of her own, someone to love unconditionally and without reservation? She had never known such a feeling before. She had never let herself. She had always believed that feelings and emotion got in the way of progress. Now she sensed that she was going to have to unlearn everything she had learned in that department.

“Does the father know?” Genevieve asked.

Sophia shook her head, even though her sister couldn’t see it.

“He doesn’t. I took the test just a few minutes ago.”

“How do you think he’s going to take it?”

Sophia sighed, thinking about their last encounter, and how utterly terrible it was.

“Honestly, I don’t think it will be good. He and I had a very strong understanding that settling down was the last thing on the list of either of our plans. I imagine he won’t take news like this very well.”

“Hmm,” Genevieve mused. “Well, you just found out, and I can see why this would be a shock for you. You love plans, and structure, and predictability. You will now have none of those things, moving forward. No matter how much you prepare, no one really knows what they’re doing as a parent.”

“That’s so reassuring, thank you,” Sophia snapped.

“I’m just telling you like it is. You want to plan for this? Learn how to go with the flow. Otherwise, you’re going to lose your mind.”

Sophia took a breath, reminding herself that her sister was on her side, and only wanted to help.

“Take the day off, Soph. Try to get some rest. Your body is going to demand it of you over the next nine months. You don’t have to tell the father right away. Come to terms with it yourself first, and then you two can make whatever plans you want for raising the child.”

Sophia’s expression was grim as she thought about having to tell Jed about his unborn child. While her sister’s words were comforting on some level, deep down she knew she wouldn’t be able to wait too long to let him know. Holding that kind of information in, wondering and imagining what would happen, would drive her completely nuts.

“I think I will take the day off,” Sophia said.

“Well now, that is a first. See? You’re already on your way.”

Sophia chuckled, but it wasn’t a happy sound.

“Something like that,” she said.

A loud bang sounded in the background of the phone.

“Emma Claire, what did you do?” Genevieve snapped.

“I’ll let you go,” Sophia said, feeling ever so slightly entertained by the shenanigans of her niece.

Genevieve’s voice was tight as she responded.

“Yes, hopefully the living room is in one piece. Sophie, call me if you need anything, okay? We’re here for you.”

“Thanks, Gen.”

“Oh, and Soph?”

“Yeah?”

“Congratulations.”

Sophia realized then that that was usually the response when news of a pregnancy happened. She felt like anything but congratulations were in order. If she could, she would have a tall, stiff drink.

“Thanks,” she mumbled.

Genevieve ended the call then as she dashed off to stop whatever trouble Emma had gotten into. Sophia continued to stare out at the building across the street, her mind simultaneously counting the windows and thinking about how she was going to break the news of this situation to Jed.

She placed a gentle hand on her flat belly, and she was instantly filled with a sense of wonder.

There was a tiny little person growing in there. Her body was growing a person! She had accomplished many things in her life, but this was on a whole other level. She thought about what it would be like, holding her own baby in her arms, and a wave of protectiveness washed over her.

She could do this. She would have this baby, and she would be the best mom in the entire world.

Sophia opened up her email and sent an apology message to the team, claiming food poisoning, and she was quick to receive well wishes for her health soon after. Seeing that the world would go on without her there, she had mixed feelings of relief and annoyance, but as she sat back against her sofa cushions, she realized for the first time since college that there might actually be some merit in relaxing.

“What do you think, baby? Should we order in some lunch and binge watch something?”

Another wave of nausea swept through her body, and she closed her eyes, waiting for it to pass.

“Okay, I guess that’s a big old no on the food thing. Still, you have to eat, if you want to grow. Let’s keep it simple.”

Sophia had never been the type of person to talk to herself. She had read somewhere that babies could hear their mother’s voice inside the womb, though, so she wanted the little one to feel safe with her. Maybe if he or she did, she could be allowed to eat actual food again.

Rising and heading towards the kitchen, she pulled out a sleeve of saltine crackers and put a pot of tea on the stove to boil. Pulling out her phone, she researched what she could and couldn’t eat and drink, and found herself having hot water with a spritz of lemon juice instead. She eyed the coffee maker longingly, but instantly decided against it.

She spent the rest of the afternoon researching the best ways to treat her body during the pregnancy. In the early evening, she went for a walk around the block, doing her best to stay lightly active, and feeling a little more confident that she did earlier that day.

Sophia was going to be an amazing mother. Whatever Jed decided to do was his own business.